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§ Private Profile · Columbus, OH, USA
B2B SaaS platform for AI-driven enterprise collaboration security, compliance, data insights, and data risk mitigation.
Aware is a Columbus, Ohio-based enterprise software company that develops artificial intelligence-driven security, compliance, and data insights platforms for modern workplace collaboration tools. The business-to-business platform integrates directly with major communication applications like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to help corporate information technology, human resources, and legal departments monitor unstructured data risks and analyze organizational sentiment. The enterprise software-as-a-service provider has raised approximately $90 million in total venture capital financing to support its ongoing business operations and platform expansion. This capitalization includes a $60 million Series C funding round executed in October 2021 that was led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with additional backing from Spring Mountain Capital and several other institutional investors. Originally launched under the name Wiretap, the enterprise technology company was founded in 2017 by Jeff Schumann, Matt Pasternack, and Brian Mann.
Aware has raised $87.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Aware has raised $87.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
# Aware, Inc.: A Global Biometric Intelligence Leader
Aware, Inc. is a global biometric technology company that develops enterprise-grade software and solutions for identity verification, fraud detection, and secure authentication.[1] Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, Aware transforms biometric data—fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans—into actionable intelligence for organizations worldwide.[4] The company serves a dual market: commercial enterprises seeking frictionless identity verification and government agencies managing border security, law enforcement, and national identification systems. With over 30 years of proven expertise, Aware has built a comprehensive platform that addresses the critical intersection of security and user experience, enabling organizations to verify identity with speed and accuracy while maintaining privacy and compliance standards.
The company's mission centers on transforming "biometric insights into wisdom," empowering customers to make confident decisions at scale.[1] Aware technology is trusted by hundreds of commercial organizations and 80 government agencies worldwide, positioning it as a foundational player in the global biometric infrastructure.[1]
Aware's founding in 1986 preceded its most pivotal early achievement: in 1993, the company helped the FBI design and optimize the WSQ (Wavelet Scalar Quantization) fingerprint compression algorithm, which became the global standard for digital fingerprinting.[1] This partnership with the FBI was transformative—Aware became the first company to commercialize WSQ as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Software Development Kit, democratizing access to enterprise-grade biometric technology.[1]
This early traction with federal law enforcement established Aware's credibility and created a foundation for decades of government contracts. The company evolved from a fingerprint-focused pioneer into a comprehensive, cloud-based, multi-modal biometric intelligence platform, expanding its capabilities to include facial recognition, iris scanning, and mobile authentication.[1][5]
Aware operates at the intersection of three powerful macro trends: digital identity verification, government modernization, and passwordless authentication. As organizations worldwide accelerate digital transformation, the demand for reliable identity verification has become critical infrastructure—particularly for financial services, government agencies, and remote onboarding workflows.
The company benefits from regulatory tailwinds. Governments are modernizing legacy biometric systems (like the FBI's transition from IAFIS to NGI), and international cooperation on identity sharing is expanding through systems like ARIES (Automated Real-time Identity Exchange System).[3] Simultaneously, commercial enterprises face mounting pressure to balance security with user experience, driving adoption of biometric authentication as an alternative to passwords.
Aware's position as a trusted provider to both government and commercial sectors gives it unique leverage. Government contracts provide stable, recurring revenue and validate technology reliability, while commercial deployments demonstrate scalability and user-centric design. This dual-market approach insulates the company from sector-specific downturns and positions it as infrastructure for the emerging identity economy.
Aware is well-positioned to capitalize on the convergence of government modernization and commercial biometric adoption. As border security, financial compliance, and remote work drive demand for reliable identity verification, the company's 30-year track record and FBI-certified technology provide defensible competitive advantages.
The key question ahead is whether Aware can accelerate commercial adoption beyond government contracts. The shift toward cloud-native, modular solutions (AwareID, FIDO Suite) suggests the company is investing in this transition. If successful, Aware could evolve from a government-dependent vendor into a horizontal platform powering identity verification across industries—from fintech to healthcare to e-commerce.
The broader trend favoring passwordless, biometric-first authentication aligns perfectly with Aware's capabilities. As organizations recognize that biometric security can enable freedom rather than restrict it, Aware's philosophy and technology stack position it as a foundational player in the identity infrastructure of the next decade.
Aware has raised $87.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $15.0M Seed in June 2022.
Aware has raised $87.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Aware's investors include Cherry Ventures, Lakestar, David Rosskamp, Accel, Advancit Capital, Amino Collective, Antler, Atria Ventures, Dreamers VC, Equity Alliance, FasterCapital, FinTech Collective.